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Benzos running low, wondering about other options..

danger

Bluelighter
Joined
May 6, 2005
Messages
42
Location
California
i've been getting a steady supply of bars from a friend of a friend of possibly another friend, but as always the source runs dry. sooo i'm in a bad spot and i'm trying to find ways to relax before i can possibly find other, more reliable ways to attain what i use for real and true anxiety.

i was prescribed 30 1mg alprazolam tabs when i started on buprenorphine a while back, which helped a bit with the anxiety of getting off opiates and... then i got back on them (opiates) in a bad, bad way... but am now officially a little over a year clean off the needle, successfully transitioned to a methadone program, and have started to taper my methadone dose.

i've only gone down about 20mg total from a beginning dose of 130mg of methadone, but i am already experiencing anxiety in a bad way.

anyone in a similar situation find good ways to relax until a new source becomes available?
 
If you are running low but have yet to run out, you should look into taking CYP3A4 inhibitors such as Cimetidine (Tagamet) to slow the rate at which it breaks down. It also slows down the metabolism of methadone, so take that into consideration since it will result in higher blood levels of methadone.

You can use some antihistamies such as Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or Doxylamine (Unisom) as these too posses some anxiolytic and hypnotic effects, which result in sedation.

You really need to try to ration the alprazolam better so that you don't find yourself in this position again, and since benzos and methadone are a dangerous mix, it is best to take as little as possible.
 
Xanax certainly helps with the taper off opiates. But rationing, as stated above, is key. Running out of benzos and opiates is a bad day and then some.

Some things I have found to help are exercise and valerian root/melanin. That combo can help with what you have described. It's helped me in the past.

And besides all that; good job getting off the needle and now trying to get off the methadone. It's tough, it's really tough, but I wish you the best and hope that you can pull through. Good luck.
 
Just remember this, don't trade one addiction for another. It happens more than you think that people do this when getting off opiates by using benzos, trading one addiction for a much worse one.

also be careful i dont know if your clinic tests for benzos but that's an automatic kick out of MMT where I live.
 
From what I know...opiate withdrawal is horrendous and can lead to seizures among other horrible things but running out of Xanax...well at high levels I have heard you can DIE from the withdrawals. I am on 5 mg. a day...I tapered to 4 mg. of Xanax and I believe that at the levels I am on that if I ever ran out I could possibly die from the withdrawals.
 
^+1. Just a suggestion, but if you can't get bars, Valium and Klonopin will do, too.

Question: If the methadone is working for you i.e. you are clean, why stop what is working?
 
From what I know...opiate withdrawal is horrendous and can lead to seizures among other horrible things but running out of Xanax...well at high levels I have heard you can DIE from the withdrawals. I am on 5 mg. a day...I tapered to 4 mg. of Xanax and I believe that at the levels I am on that if I ever ran out I could possibly die from the withdrawals.

I dont think you can get seizures from opiate withdrawals. It's the seizures that you get from benzo withdrawals that could prove to be fatal.
 
If your trying to avoid being addicted, never take benzos on a regular basis unless your life is unlivable. If you think you have anxiety now imagine life as a benzo addict. Regularly waking up to find your pills gone and your life in shambles. W\D for days complete with insomnia, hypertension, and suicidal depression... Thats some stress right there...
 
Valerian root or simply labeled "valerian" I have found to be quite effective by itself in tablets or teas, or mixed with other herbs. Even with a pretty decent benzo habit, Valerian helps relax me. Some sedating anti-histamines can help with anxiety, however, they are not always the best option to be taken regularly as they will lose their efficacity fairly quickly.
 
I dont think you can get seizures from opiate withdrawals. It's the seizures that you get from benzo withdrawals that could prove to be fatal.
One time I had my Fentanyl patches stolen from me back when I used to be on Fentanyl. I had been on it for over a year and faithfully changed it every other day versus the three days most people can get to. Well, I do not remember any of this but my roommate came in to see me seizing on the floor at 3:00 a.m. because my dog knew something was wrong and started barking. He never barks at night so the roomie got up and found me with red froth...(I had bitten my tongue) coming out of my mouth while I was seizing. She called an ambulance. They said it was Fentanyl withdrawal seizures. They put a new patch on me and told me to not let myself run out for any reason. The reason I didn't go to my doc to tell them they were stolen is because I had only two more days to make it to the pain clinic and thought...well only 2 patches were stolen. I can make it. I was wrong. I now keep all of my meds in a locked safe. I don't trust anyone. I wish I would have called my doctor but I didn't think it would be that bad just missing two patches. You live and learn.
 
also be careful i dont know if your clinic tests for benzos but that's an automatic kick out of MMT where I live.

When I used to live in Virginia, there was only one methadone clinic which was OK with their patients using benzos, and they all had to sign a contract which basically meant if they overdosed it wasn't anyone's fault but the user's, not the clinic or the doctor's.
 
propranolol or clonidine will help a shit load for opiate and benzo wd anxiety. If you can't get those easily then find a supplement with hops, passionflower and valerian root.
 
If your trying to avoid being addicted, never take benzos on a regular basis unless your life is unlivable. If you think you have anxiety now imagine life as a benzo addict. Regularly waking up to find your pills gone and your life in shambles. W\D for days complete with insomnia, hypertension, and suicidal depression... Thats some stress right there...

This

Benzo withdrawal is 10000x worse than the worst opiate wtihdrawal. I have never taken them for more than a few months straight and I almost ended up in ER. I have never ever come close to going to the ER for even methadone precipitiated withdrawals. Benzo withdrawal is plain SCARY. and you can die. The depression and anxiety is so hard hitting I can easily see how someone would commit suicide while in withdrawal.

If I were you I would do anything you can possibly do to get more benzos and taper off.. if you have been taking 2mg + for months you coud lliterally die from withdrawal.
 
This

Benzo withdrawal is 10000x worse than the worst opiate wtihdrawal. I have never taken them for more than a few months straight and I almost ended up in ER. I have never ever come close to going to the ER for even methadone precipitiated withdrawals. Benzo withdrawal is plain SCARY. and you can die. The depression and anxiety is so hard hitting I can easily see how someone would commit suicide while in withdrawal.

If I were you I would do anything you can possibly do to get more benzos and taper off.. if you have been taking 2mg + for months you coud lliterally die from withdrawal.


This is the truth!! I take 5 mg. a day of Xanax prescribed and often wonder what would happen if we had a hurricane or something in Florida and I was unable to get my script refilled. I would die if not taken to the hospital.
 
taylor_ said:
...I could die if not taken to the hospital...

But yeah, you're not guaranteed gonna die with benzo withdrawal man.. but agreed sure as fuck you're not gonna be very comfortable.
 
try to get your hands on some valium, i've been on 10mg a day for 2 years... i can skip days if i need to because of the long half life V has. valium, in my opinion, is the best benzo. It does its job really well and isnt as recreational as the short acting benzos making it easier to manage yourself.
 
This is the truth!! I take 5 mg. a day of Xanax prescribed and often wonder what would happen if we had a hurricane or something in Florida and I was unable to get my script refilled. I would die if not taken to the hospital.

May I ask for what reason you are on almost three bars a DAY??? I hope for legit social anxiety and the like. The word about how bad Xanax/Xanax w/d is is making it more and more difficult to get. In south Texas the street price is up to *snip*, sometimes even *snip* for the desperate. And ppl will pay it - they do not have a choice. The w/d is life-threatening and excruciating.

Make damn sure you have a stash if for some reason you can't get more. I do that with my DOC, so if there is an unforeseeable problem I won't have to sit in misery until I can get more.
 
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Good Kava Kava. It can really take the edge off when you're hooked and out of benzos. There is good vendors online that distribute the real stuff, but obviously, I can't mention sources. Hint: *snip*
 
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yeah agreed.kava kava and valerian.valium iz 1 of the best long term benzos 4 anxiety.doctors r often 2 difficult about prescribing it.sum other drugs ull just have 2 take more and dont work az well.
 
1. Valium
2. Klonopin
3. Kava Kava
4. L-Theanine

in order of effectiveness to treat benzo w/d symptoms
 
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